Powerful Writing Tips

Free resource materials to help you communicate more effectively are now available on my website:

Plain Language Tips – for business writing that is easy to read and easy to understand

Dynamic Tables and Graphs – to help you communicate with numbers

Effective PowerPoint Presentations – to visually enhance your public speaking

Resumes – a series of articles to help you prepare a killer resume

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Camino: Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate and Sweets

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In 1999, three young Ottawa entrepreneurs decided to set up a new business. They had worked overseas and were concerned about the ways in which conventional businesses exploited farmers in many countries around the world. They wanted to provide Canadian consumers with an organic, fairly traded alternative. Because they had chosen to work with producer co-operatives, they established themselves as a worker co-operative, and La Siembra Co-operative was born with the launch of Canada’s first Fair Trade, organic hot chocolate – Cocoa Camino . Getting Started La Siembra’s first year in business was pretty crazy. They were able to source cocoa and sugar for the hot chocolate from two co-operatives in Costa Rica, so they had the raw ingredients. They also had a market as right from the start they were able to supply natural health stores via distributors. But the hot chocolate was being packed in a church basement by volunteers, and they used bicycles to deliver the product to Canada...
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Bideford, North Devon

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A few miles upriver from Appledore is the market town of Bideford . The town was a pleasant surprise and I didn’t have long enough to discover all its treasures. The Torridge River is still tidal in Bideford and the quays are lined with boats both old and new. In the 16th century, Bideford was Britain’s third largest port and there are still signs of its thriving past. The impressive bridge linking Bideford with East the Water (i.e. on the other side of the river) was built in 1535. There are plenty of independent stores in the streets behind the quay selling baked goods, fruit and vegetables, and books. Bideford’s market hall was built in 1884 and is referred to as the Panier Market as the farmers used to bring their produce to market in large wicker baskets. It’s a very pretty building, but it seems to sell primarily crafts rather than food. The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery & Museum was an absolute delight, and I could have spent much lo...
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Sea Buckthorn: Superfruit from Northern Vigor Berries

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It’s winter, and I’m longing for fruit, but I’m trying to buy as many local foods as possible so pineapples and mangoes are out of the question. Not to worry! I’ve found a new favourite that combines a tart, slightly tropical flavour with a heaping serving of health-giving vitamins and anti-oxidants. And it’s grown in Saskatchewan. Sea Buckthorn Berries Sea buckthorn is a deciduous shrub that was originally grown in Europe and Asia. It doesn’t mind a cold climate or poor soil, so it’s found at the foot of the Himalaya, in Siberia – and on the Canadian Prairies. Sea buckthorn has a long and storied history. Ghengis Khan is said to have fed sea buckthorn berries to his army and the leaves to his horses to keep both healthy and strong prior to battle. Tibetan medicinal texts from as early as 600 A.D. refer to the herbal remedies made of sea buckthorn for skin and digestive disorders. The tradition continues. The Indian Department of Defence recently sponsored a conference on sea ...
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Alley Kat Brewing, Edmonton

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small is beautiful - and profitable I ventured deep into Edmonton’s south industrial area to find the home of Alley Kat beers. Alley Kat was founded in 1995 and is the longest-running microbrewery in Edmonton. Their first beer, Aprikat, remains their most popular and reminded me of a fruit cooler. They add apricot extract to the conditioning tanks, and it is sweet with lots of fruit flavour. They also make Alley Kat Amber brown ale, Charlie Flint’s organic lager and Full Moon pale ale (double the hops – oof!) on an ongoing basis. Alley Kat produces approximately one million bottles of beer annually. They sell primarily to Alberta as well as a little to Saskatchewan, but they also send 300-400 kegs of Full Moon to a bar in Seoul, Korea, each month. An Edmonton teacher working in Seoul recommended the beer. The Korean bar owner came to Edmonton, tried the beer and liked it, and now stocks it in his bar. Small = Flexible This example illustrates how flexible small businesses can be....
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A Place Within: Rediscovering India by M.G. Vassanji

M.G. Vassanji and his parents and grandparents lived and worked in East Africa. He now lives in Canada but welcomed an opportunity to travel in India, the land of his ancestors. A Place Within: Rediscovering India talks about his sense of coming home but still observes the country as an outsider. He is neither Hindu nor Muslim, and he’s horrified by the religious violence that can erupt in India. But unlike North Americans, he’s at home in a poor, crowded country. He looks back at the country’s long, long history of being invaded again and again and the diverse mix of people and religions and cultures this has created in India. It’s a fascinating look at a very complex country. I also feel very much at home with his perspective. I was born in Africa of British parents. I have spent roughly half my life in Saskatoon, but the rest of my life has been spent wandering. I’ve lived in four Canadian provinces and spent 2 ½ years in France. Sometimes I envy people who have lived their whole li...
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